Important Schedule Update for Bethlehem Catholic High School Families

Dear Bethlehem Families,

The recent fire at Bethlehem Catholic High School has brought an unexpected and challenging start to our upcoming school year. We know that news of this loss has brought concern, stress, and uncertainty to many of your homes. Please know that we share those feelings, and our hearts go out to every student, staff member, and parent impacted by this event. 

We are grateful that the main school building will be available for the fall and that classes will begin as scheduled on September 2nd. However, there was significant damage to our relocatables (portables) and we will be without 26 relocatable classrooms for the fall. We remain committed to providing in-person learning and keeping our entire school community together at Bethlehem. To support this goal and make the best possible use of the learning spaces that remain available, we will be implementing a temporary adjustment to our daily schedule.

After careful consideration, and in consultation with the Ministry of Education and other stakeholders, we have decided to move to a split-day schedule as a temporary response to an extraordinary situation.

Students in Grades 9 and 10 will receive regular instruction for five periods during the morning, while students in Grades 11 and 12 will receive regular instruction for five periods during the afternoon. Class periods will be slightly shorter than usual. Students will continue to receive the required instructional time through a combination of classroom instruction and independent learning outside of class time that is able to be supported by tutorials. 

Programming for students in our functionally integrated programs will not be impacted by the split-day schedule. Students enrolled in Alternative Education programs will continue to have access to full-day instruction and supports.

This schedule reduces the number of classrooms required at one time while preserving daily face-to-face instruction, maintaining access to our full complement of courses, and keeping students connected to the Bethlehem community.

This change is intended to be temporary. As additional classrooms and learning spaces become available, we will review the schedule and transition back to a regular school day as soon as conditions allow. We will keep families updated as we learn more about restoration timelines and available spaces.

Tutorials

Students will be attending scheduled classes that are slightly shorter in length for half of the day and will make up the remaining instructional minutes during the rest of the day. Students who need extra help, time to complete assignments, support with assessments, or subject-specific assistance will be able to access tutorials. In many cases, multiple teachers will be available in a tutorial space, giving students access to support for more than one subject area.

Grades 9 and 10 students will have access to tutorials in the afternoon, and Grades 11 and 12 students will have access to tutorials in the morning. More specific information about tutorials will be shared by Monday, August 24^th. 

The schedule will be as follows:

Grades 9 and 10: Morning Instruction 

Grades 11 and 12: Afternoon Instruction

Transportation

We recognize that this temporary schedule will affect transportation routines for many families. We have reached out to Saskatoon Transit to inform them of the change so they can plan for the possibility of additional students wanting to take the bus home or to the school partway through the day. Families may also need to review their own transportation plans based on the new schedule.

Our goal is to support students academically, spiritually, socially, and emotionally through this transition. Staff will be available to help students adjust to the split-day schedule, and we will continue to monitor student needs closely. If a student is struggling with the schedule, coursework, transportation, or access to help, we encourage families to contact the school so we can work together on a plan.

Thank you for your patience, understanding, and continued support of Bethlehem Catholic High School. This is not the start to the year any of us would have anticipated, but our commitment to students remains unchanged. We are confident that with the support of our staff, students, families, and broader school community, we will continue to provide a strong and caring Catholic education through this temporary challenge.

Holy Family of Bethlehem, pray for us!

Sincerely,

Shelda Hanlan Stroh, Principal
Bethlehem Catholic High School